Theatron Logou

Sarah Wagenknecht, Wolfgang Schäuble, Cem Özdemir – they were all guests of Theatron Logou and invited to dinner in a student flat.

The list of renowned speakers is long: Gabriel Busquets-Aparicio (Spanish Ambassador to Germany), Michel Friedman (former vice president, Central Jewish Council in Germany), politicians Günther Beckstein and Rita Süßmuth, Bishop Wolfgang Huber (formar chair, Council of German Protestants – EKD), Father Thomas Williams (former dean, Pontifical University Vatican City), Tankred Stöbe (chairman MSF Germany – Médecins Sans Frontières and UW/H alumnus), and Franz Haniel (chairman of supervisory boards Franz Haniel GmbH and Metro AG).

Theatron Logou started as an interdisciplinary round-table series in 2001 and invited outstanding personalities from a variety of social contexts to the university for discussion of current and significant issues. “We wanted a forum for exchange with public figures,” so Christian Jünger. “Another major objective was and is to strengthen contacts between the university and the region.” The project attracts between 200 and 300 guests respectively to 4 annual events on average. 

The Theatron Logou team decides whom to invite for which topic. Jünger: “We search for suitable speakers. Ideally we have three to five speakers on one topic who represent politics, the academic world, business, and media or cultural scene.” The team prefers retired politicians to holders of a current office. “They are more outspoken as a rule and do not use the discussion for election campaign purposes.” 

The second part of the evening is special to hosts and guests alike. “We invite our guests for dinner to a shared student flat. They are used to classy restaurants; but a dinner prepared and consumed in a student flat amidst lively talk has a particular flair and reminds them of their own student years. Some stay until five in the morning.” Michel Friedman was one of the more unusual guests. “Four bodyguards and 60 policemen complete with dogs searched everything in advance, even our flat. And discussion with this guest was quite a stormy affair, really inspiring.” 

A new and more interdisciplinary Theatron Logou team representing all faculties took over in summer 2010.  Christian Jünger from the old team: “We started early looking for successors. The concept demands new input and critical review of old ideas.” New on the team is Max Raane, who was much impressed by an event to recruit humanitarian aid for conflict areas; his promise: “We shall ensure that Theatron Logou remains true to the founders’ original intention: a platform for interdisciplinary discussion of socially relevant topics and also a bond between Witten/Herdecke University and the region.”

This project is sponsored by WUG.

Contact:
Max Raane